I was injected with Botox a week ago and see NO results at all - should I be reinjected?

Q:

I am 54 years old and had Botox for the first time a week ago. I was injected above my brows to elevate them and get rid of lines between the brows. I was also injected around my eyes for crows feet. I have seen NO results at all! I am fully able to move all facial muscles. Should I be reinjected? Do I have antibodies? Would it be fair for me to pay for that? I feel that I have spent $750 for nothing.

A:

Wait another week, for a total of two weeks. If there is still no effect, then see your surgeon. Although the company has taken the policy of not reimbursing the doctor if the Botox did not work, my personal policy is to inject the patient with fresh mixed Botox at no charge. If there is still no effect after that, I will talk with the company.

Make sure you are getting fresh Botox. After dilution, its shelf life is no more than 2 weeks.

Make sure your injector is getting American made Botox by Allergan. and not a Chinese counterfeit product.

A:

Often to get a long lasting effect with Botox, a practitioner will mix it while you are there and immediately administer the drug. This can allow the effects of the Botox to last as long as 6 to 8 months. However, one down side is that it can take 2 to 3 weeks to notice initial results.

Once the Botox sits around for more than just a few hours it has less long term effects. Spa treatments with Botox which usually is the much cheaper Botox B, usually only lasts 2 to 3 months. However, onset or action of the drug occurs usually within a week.

The bottom line is you should wait about one more week. If no result occurs, return to the practitioner who performed your procedure for evaluation.

A:

It is uncommon not to see any results after 2 weeks. I would wait 1 more week. If there are still no results I would return to the physician's office for an evaluation. I hope you were treated by a Board Certified physician, preferably a Plastic Surgeon or Dermatologist.

A:

Longevity of Botox – Botox usually takes 7-10 days if properly injected to obtain the maximum results. It is rare to not have any type of result if done correctly. If you have minimal results, you can go back to your Plastic Surgeon and he can re-inject the area. The lot number for the Botox should be given to Allergan if it did not work on a set of patients.